On Tuesday, South Korean table tennis player Lim Jonghoon took an extraordinary selfie. The commemorative photo was taken with players from North Korea, a country that is technically at war with the South and is fenced off by one of the world’s most dangerous borders. The group photo immediately made headlines around the world.
Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha with Chin on Tuesday they won the Olympic gold in the mixed team table tennis. Second place went to players from North Korea – Kim Kum Yong and Ri Jong Sik. The last place on the podium went to Shin Yubin and Lim Jonghoon representing neighboring South Korea. They decided to seal their victory with a joint selfie. They invited the gold and silver medalists to take it.
The moment of taking the joint photo did not escape the photojournalists present nearby, and the photos of the event were quickly distributed across the world's media. “This is the true spirit of Olympism”, “This is perhaps the most significant image of the Games”, “A beautiful photo, united people” – these are the headlines and internet comments.
Selfies of representatives of South, North and China a sensation at the games PAP/Abaca
Selfies of athletes from both Koreas
Why did the Korean selfie stir up so much emotion? The Korean Peninsula has been divided into two Korean states since the bloody 1950-1953 war. That conflict ended with only an armistice, so North Korea and the South remain formally in a state of war to this day.
The joint photo of the athletes in Paris is causing such strong emotions also because of the exceptionally tense relations between Seoul and Pyongyang recently. Some experts are asking the situation on the Korean Peninsula is more dangerous now than at any time since the Korean War. In January, Pyongyang recognized Seoul as its “main enemy”. At the beginning of February, he decided to breaking off all economic agreements connecting the two countries and intensified military exercises. In response to the distribution of anti-regime leaflets by its neighbor, the North Korean government also sent dozens of balloons with garbage and excrement.
Olympic selfie
The photo made famous by internet users is not the only one of its kind. As “The Time” notes, the so-called “victory selfie” is slowly becoming a trend at this year's Olympic Games. Until now, taking photos at the competition using private phones was not possible. This year, it can be done, but only using a specific phone model manufactured by Samsung – one of the sponsors of the event. The change in regulations was met with an enthusiastic response from some athletes. Among others, fencers Oh Sang-uk, Fares Ferjani and Luigi Samele and triathletes Beth Potter, Julie Derron and Cassandre Beaugrand have already decided to take a group photo.
Time, Khaleej Times, Korea JoongAng Daily, tvn24.pl
Main image source: PAP/Abaca